7 reasons why the GameCube was (and still is) one of the best systems for the Zelda series

Every generation of Nintendo game consoles has been home to at least one form of advancement for the Zelda series. Those average of five or six years at a time produce memorable content that the fans love and continue to love. But some generations have meant more for Zelda than others. The era of the GameCube was one of the greatest the fans have ever seen.

While the GameCube was not as commercially successful as most of Nintendo’s other consoles, it did bring massive increases to the adventures in Hyrule. These unforgettable additions to the franchise remain hard to match, let alone surpass.

7. The Introduction Of Toon Link

The Wind Waker introduced a lot of new material to the Zelda series. But the first and most important addition was the cel-shaded and cartoony version of everyone’s favorite Hylian hero. The preceding Link from Ocarina of Time was a mature character in terms of age and visual design. This new Link, however, was a youth with exaggerated expressions and dimensions.

This iteration of Link was a radical departure from what the fans had known for nearly two decades. It was met with harsh criticism at first, but once people got the chance to play the game and play as the new hero, they fell in love with his endearing personality and comical style. Now, this version of Link remains one of the most popular and one of the most used by Nintendo.

6. The Introduction Of Midna

Similar to The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess brought many new mainstays to Zelda. And while its incarnation of Link has remained almost as popular as Toon Link, the character that fans appreciate the most is the dynamic and spirited Midna.

Somewhat rare for the series, Midna is a character that went through a profound character development arc that lasted the entire span of the game. Her growing friendship with Link and her growing maturity and empathy made her pivotal to the story. And her magical powers coupled with Wolf Link’s abilities created a gameplay experience that remains one of the best that the series has ever offered.

5. The First Zelda Collection

Unfortunately for Zelda fans everywhere, collections and anthologies of the games are not commonplace. In fact, The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition isn’t merely the first collection of multiple games — it’s the only one. To this day, Nintendo has yet to release another special edition bundle of multiple Zelda games.

The good thing is that, if this collection was meant to be the sole one, it at least did not disappoint. This single disc came loaded with The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time, and Majora’s Mask. At the time, that was almost half of the Zelda games that had ever been released.

4. Playable Sheik, Zelda, Young Link, And Ganondorf In Smash Bros.

By the time the GameCube had launched, Link had already made his way into the Super Smash Bros. series in its original N64 title. But when that game’s successor, Super Smash Bros. Melee came to the new console, Nintendo saw fit to add a slew of additional Zelda characters to its roster. These characters were Zelda, Sheik, Young Link, and Ganondorf.

Zelda and Sheik were entirely original designs, and Young Link and Gannondorf were clones of Link and Captain Falcon respectively. Since then, each of these characters and their fun gameplay (except for Young Link) have returned for every subsequent game.

3. The First 3D Hard Mode (Master Quest)

Hero Mode and Master Mode are extra game content that players are more than familiar with today. Every new 3D game for the past 10 years seems to comes paired with a harder mode that throws greater tests at the player. This used to be the exclusive territory of the 2D games, such as the original The Legend of Zelda. That changed with the release of Ocarina of Time: Master Quest.

Master Quest made things more challenging by completely redesigning Ocarina of Time‘s dungeons. The layouts and the puzzles the players needed to solve were changed to the point of being basically brand-new. This was a version of the game meant for players that had mastered the original and were eager to be challenged.

2. The Introduction Of Quality Zelda Multiplayer

The first Four Swords game had the honor of introducing multiplayer to the series. The issue was that the game wasn’t a true, full experience. It was an add-on for the GBA port of A Link to the Past. Its sequel, Four Swords Adventures, gave players the full and polished multiplayer adventure that the series needed.

Up to four players could work together to solve the game’s puzzles, clear the game’s dungeons, and slay the game’s enemies and bosses. Inversely, the people playing could waste time sabotaging each other and competing to see who could get the most Force Gems. The game was simple yet complex in all the right ways, which made playing as a group fun no matter what.

1. One Of The Best Options For Playing The Most Zelda Games

The most important thing about the GameCube in regard to Zelda is that it is simply one of the best systems to play the games on. To this day, only the Wii U and original model Wii compare with it when it comes to the number of games fans can play on the system.

Thanks to Collector’s Edition, Twilight Princess being released on the Wii and the GameCube, and the GameBoy Player, every Zelda game released up to 2006 is playable on the console. And as of now, the GameCube is the only non-current home console that has an exclusive Zelda title, that being Four Swords Adventures.